Foul Play
by The Better Side
Summary: One hasty decision can lead to severe consequences. Stephanie's about to learn just how severe it can get and how quickly her life can change from it.
1. Prologue

Finish one story, start another. That's TBS for you.

Enjoy.

* * *

**Prologue**

* * *

It helps to be impulsive sometimes.

Because when you're in that state of mind, you aren't worrying about the pain you're in or the anger bubbling over or the consequences that might result from your behavior. You're numb to emotions and focused on only one thing. That one thing could be ironing, sleeping, eating. _Anything_ that'll occupy your attention and keep the unwanted feelings at bay.

"Stephanie?"

In my case, that one thing was Carlos Manoso bka Ranger. The enigmatic, dark man of my life. The other man I loved. The man who made it perfectly clear he didn't want relationships. The perfect man I could use to numb me even further.

In one way, Ranger was responsible for all of this. It was his fault I was standing outside of his door right now, it was his fault I had gotten into another fight with my boyfriend, Morelli, it was his fault I was so hopelessly confused, _his fault_.

You might say I was being unfair but even if I agreed, I wouldn't care. I wanted to blame, I wanted to strike out, I wanted to do something unspeakable and not feel guilt while doing it. And not only would Ranger be the target but he'd also aid me in my quest for revenge.

He stared at me through slightly slanted eyes and I could tell from his bare chest and boxers that he had been sleeping before my impatient knocking woke him up.

"What's wrong?" He asked when I remained stoic and silent.

There were so many things I could respond with. So much information I could spurt out. So many tears I could shed. But I didn't do any of that. I didn't want to talk or cry or worry tonight. I wanted to feel needed and wanted and cared for.

So I leaned into him, wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him. I felt him stiffen for only a second before relaxing into it and deepening the kiss. When we broke away, he stared into my eyes. "Steph-"

I shushed him and kissed him again. Deeper, fiercer, hungrier. He ran his hands up the front of my shirt and splayed them against my stomach.

"Stephanie wait..." He started again, pulling away. I could see something unusual flicker in his eyes; apprehension, concern, uncertainty. I tightened my hold on him and pressed my lips to him a third time. I wasn't going to give him enough time to rethink this. I wasn't going to let him question me about Joe or figure out what happened. I _needed_ this. I needed Ranger.

"Take me." I whispered in his ear. He stood still for a moment. Contemplating, weighing his options, I guessed. He knew something was wrong. He knew I wasn't being myself. I couldn't let him push me away. Not tonight. So I trailed my finger down his chest, past his waist and _lower_. I heard his quick intake of breath while I stroked him. "_Now_."

He pulled me inside, shut the door and carried me to the bed.

Apparently, I wouldn't have to tell him twice.

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	2. Chapter One

I guess I started this because I wanted to make an angst story. I never said I excelled at it though. ^_~ Oh ho. I torched myself.

Hey, did I put a warning about that already? If not; this story is very angsty.

Disclaimer: Do people even add this in anymore?

* * *

**Chapter One**

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The very first thing I realized, when I cracked open my eyes, was that I wasn't in my own bed or in my apartment for that matter. Momentary confusion hit me. I raised my head and glanced around the room drowsily. The sheets were smooth and comfy and the clock on the bedside desk glared nine fifty my way.

I was at Ranger's house.

I turned towards the other side of the bed and saw that no one beside me. I rubbed my eyes and rolled out of bed to see that I was completely naked. With a squeak of surprise, I dove back into the bed and curled up in the covers. Last night's events started to replay over in my head: Knocking on Ranger's door, kissing him, him pulling me in, dragging me to the bed, stripping my clothes off....

My hands came up to cover my face and I groaned. What had I done?

_You slept with Ranger_.

Why?

_To get back at Joe_.

I silenced my subconscious and started to tug at my hair. Stupid. I was so stupid. Actually, I think I had evolved from stupid. I was something completely different now. I was a combination of idiotic, simpleminded and insane. I tried to go back to my state of mind from last night, the cold, numbing pain that propelled me towards Ranger's bed but I couldn't delve it back up. My common sense was screeching loud and clear and it was heated.

I cheated on Joe. For revenge.

I used Ranger to do it. And, to add insult to injury, the man wasn't even here. I could always count on him for that though. Why _would_ he be here? He wasn't obligated to lay with me until I woke up and he probably had more pressing matters. He was probably traveling to some third one country and was going to be 'in the wind' for a few months. One part of me was glad he was gone. I don't think I could face him at the moment.

While the other part of me was hurt. And that hurt was burrowing into my earlier ache from last night and digging a painful hole in my chest. I was pitiful.

A ring suddenly pierced the quiet of the room and I jumped. I felt my heart beat and my eyes traveled to the source: my cell phone. I crawled cautiously towards the end of the bed, reached to pick up my pants lying discarded on the floor and retrieved my phone. Although I didn't want to answer it, I put it to my ear without looking at the caller ID and asked, "Hello?"

"Stephanie?"

I put a hand over my mouth and closed my eyes tightly at the man's voice. "Hi Joe." I wondered if he heard my voice waver, if he could sense my deceit.

"Hey." He said softly. "Where are you?"

_In Ranger's bed, naked_. "Out." I blurted. "At my mother's house."

He paused, sighed and said, "Listen Steph.....I'm really sorry about last night and-Can you meet me? I want to talk."

_I'll be right there, Joe. Right after I get dressed and try to wash Ranger's scent off of me_. I pushed my subconscious away again and replied, "Sure. I'll meet you at your place later on tonight." _That'll give me time to think of more lies and try to justify my act of betrayal._

There was a pause. "Alright then." He hesitated and for one sick, terrifying moment, I thought he was going to tell me he loved me while I lay in another's man bed. But, to my relief, he just hung up.

I sat the phone down slowly on the bed and stared at it for a long minute. I waited for the guilt to come. I waited to feel horrible about lying to my boyfriend about my whereabouts and I waited for the gut wrench in my stomach from cheating on him.

But nothing came. I just felt hollow and exhausted.

So I laid back down on the pillow, closed my eyes and drifted off, praying for a happy dream to get my mind off the nightmare that is my life.

*******

_Ranger_

One. Two. Three.

I felt the force as it jolted me back slightly. I stood my ground, kept my position and aimed.

Four. Five. Six.

_Relax. Concentrate._ I flexed my fingers, squared my shoulders, aimed again and held my breath.

Seven. Eight. Nine. _Ten_.

The tenth bullet shot right through the target dummy's head and made a neat hole in the plastic. I straightened, set the gun down and took off the protective goggles. I waited for the dummy to trail down the shooting range and ripped it off the hook to investigate.

Ten shots. It took me ten damn shots to get it in the head. Two hit the leg, one hit an arm, another hit the gut and five completely missed.

I_ never _missed.

I threw it on the floor, sighed and rubbed at my forehead. I could have blamed my lack of focus on the time of day, my requirement of food or having gotten only three hours of sleep but I knew that none of those things were bothering me.

It was Stephanie. It was _always_ Stephanie.

She was either still upstairs on the seventh floor in my apartment or she had left, I didn't know. I had an unbearable urge to go check but forced myself not to. I had a feeling that she wouldn't want to see me right now and I couldn't blame her.

I knew, more than anything, that last night had been a mistake. If only because of the exterior factors. One of them was Morelli. She was still with him. I knew it, she knew it, everyone knew it.

Yet I didn't take heed of that last night. I ignored the knowledge that she was obviously hurting, pushed any other thoughts aside and took her. Because of me. Because_ I_ wanted it. There had been nothing on my mind but getting what_ I_ wanted.

And what I had wanted was Stephanie. But instead of waiting patiently like a civil, gentlemen, I went and lost control like a savage.

I took advantage of her and then left because I couldn't bear to face her when she got up.

So not only was I a good for nothing bastard but I was coward. What a great role model I'll be. And let's not forget the exterior factor on _my_ side.

I reached in my pocket, pulled out my cell phone and scrolled down to a number.

Selena's number.

I stared at it while it glared back at me. As if it was taunting me, telling me how wrong I was and that even if I called, I'd still be pathetic. Damn phone number. I put my phone back in my pocket, strapped my goggles back on and grabbed the gun again.

I could feel my phone in my pocket, weighing me down with guilt, telling me that I needed to be a man about it and talk to her. Talk to them _both_.

But my cell phone's internal mock went on deaf ears while I drowned it out with the deafening shots of my Glock.

********

_Stephanie_

When I woke up for the second time that day, Ranger still wasn't around. I glanced at the clock and saw that it was close to two pm now. Why I had remained at Rangeman and not went to my own apartment, I didn't know. If I was going to be convincing to Morelli then I probably should have gotten out and covered up the evidence.

But I wasn't in a real rush to cover anything, I realized. I wasn't sure why but I still wasn't feeling very guilty. Or ashamed or mad or _anything_. The empty callousness remained and I liked it. I'd rather be hollow than dizzy with remorse.

I hurriedly got up, took a quick shower and got dressed in my clothes from last night. I skipped past eating and ran out. Running into Ranger was one thing I'd rather avoid. It'd just complicate my life and further confuse me. I made it down to the parking lot without being spotted by any one and tip toed my way over to my sky blue Buick. It was still parked in the same space, same angle, nothing changed.

While I fumbled in my purse for my key, I felt a hand drop on my shoulder. I instantly shrieked, spun and swung my purse.

Hal stood staring at me, a square indent of my purse on his cheek. "Jeez, jumpy much?"

I blew out a sigh and forced a tight smile. "Sorry. You kinda...caught me off guard."

"No prob." He eyed me up and down. "You're in a hurry."

He must have knew that I stayed overnight. I could tell by his probing gaze. Ranger had someone on guard of the Rangeman building at all times and Hal had gotten yesterday's night shift. "Yeah, I have to go."

"Well...alright. Just call if you need any help."

I nodded shakily, turned and then froze. I bit my lip and blurted out, "Where's Ranger?" I was going against my plan of ducking out of here quick but I was more than curious about his whereabouts. A part of me thought that if I confirmed what I guessed, that he was 'in the wind', then I'd feel better at being deserted.

The next words from Hal's mouth was like a punch to the stomach. "He's down in the shooting range."

He was _here_? In the building still? I felt an unwanted surge of dejection and tried to shake it off. So what? So, what if he hadn't came up? So, what if he'd rather shoot people than spend time with me? I already knew what to expect. I knew that Ranger wasn't going to attest to my feelings. That was _the_ reason why I had went to him last night. I wanted sex, no strings attached and I knew Ranger wanted that as well. We both got what we wanted. There was no reason to feel sorry or sad.

But, as I slid into my car and drove off, I couldn't ignore the pain fluttering in my chest or the churning of my stomach.

And the sudden, ironic realization flashed in my mind: While trying to dull the pain of Morelli, I had received a wound from Ranger.

* * *

^_^- I use that smiley too much, I know. Anyway, I hope this chapter was enjoyable! There shall be more soon.


	3. Chapter Two

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**Chapter Two**

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_Ranger_

I could see Tank staring at me out of the corner of my eye. Actually, I'd call it a glare. A hard glare that I was trying my best to ignore. When I went back upstairs to my apartment, Stephanie hadn't been there. I wasn't sure if I was disappointed or relieved. I knew I'd have to face her again but hopefully, not soon. I was so confused and angry; I don't think I could form an incoherent sentence.

Unfortunately, my confrontation with Tank couldn't be avoided for long. After all, he worked for me. At the moment, we were trumping around through a deserted apartment building around Stark Street in search of any gang bangers, drug dealers or any one else who could pose a threat. This was only one aspect of our job. I owned a security company named Rangeman. We dealt with all kinds of people as long as they provided money and we provided service. No big deal to me. I always provided service.

We made one last look around the apartment and then headed out. Tank spoke up as we exited. "I saw Stephanie leaving Rangeman earlier this morning."

Here we go. It was time to live up to my rep of constantly having my poker face on. "Did you?"

"Did she stay the night?" I could hear the hard edge in his words and when I didn't respond, he stepped to block my path. "So, she did?"

"Is that any of your business?"

"No, but I think Selena would like to know."

There was nothing I could say to win this argument. If I told the truth, I'd lose more than just his friendship and if I lied, I'd feel like a bastard. "She got into a fight with Morelli and came to me, crying. I comforted her and that's it. I even slept on the couch." Bastard, it was.

Tank stared at me for a long minute while he flexed his fingers. It was one of those things he did before he was about to punch someone. I wouldn't be surprised if he struck me. Hell, I might take gratitude in it. I needed a good ass beating at the moment.

But Tank just turned on his heel and continued to the car. He believed me. And why shouldn't he? I had never lied to him before.

Hell of a time to start.

**********

_Stephanie_

"Where have you been?"

I turned to Connie who was sitting behind her desk, blinking up at me. After leaving Rangeman, I went to my apartment, changed clothes, ate a few pounds of ice cream and came here. I was in no mood to go chasing after skips but I couldn't stay cooped up at home all day. I didn't want to think about all the events that had happened in the last hours. I needed a distraction.

"I slept in." I told her calmly. "Where's Lula?"

"She called in sick. Said she had the flu?"

Lula's idea of the flu was no getting enough ribs in her gut before two pm. I sighed and slumped onto the couch. "Great." I muttered.

"You alright?" Connie asked.

No, I'm not. "I'm fine. Just a little...drained."

"You can take the day off too, ya know? We don't have that many FTA's for some reason. Hell, even Vinnie didn't show up."

Poor Connie. I didn't want to leave her stuck here alone but I wasn't going to longue around all day. I bid farewell, got into my car and drove off. My destination: Unknown.

*********

I ended up heading to Morelli's house. I'm not sure why. I guess I was restless. The talk with Morelli wasn't something I was looking forward to so I figured it'd be best to just face my fears and plunge right in to it. Too bad I hadn't felt as brave with Ranger.

It was quiet and calm as I pulled into his driveway. I peeked through his windows and knocked on the door. No answer. He was off doing his cop thing. I let myself in, tip toed around and found Bob lying on the living room floor, napping. Bob was Morelli's giant, man eater, orange, fluffy dog. He ate everything, slobbered over everything and was lovable enough to be kept as a guest.

I didn't feel like petting Bob. Petting Bob would have felt like an even bigger betrayal. Petting a man's dog after you slept with someone else was a sin.

So I just sat on the couch, my hands clasped in my lap and waited for Joe to get home. I thought about going upstairs and surprising him in his bed but didn't. I suddenly felt unwelcome and uncomfortable in the house he inherited from his Aunt Rose. I felt like the walls were glaring at me and accusing me of all my wrong deeds.

I felt like a cheater.

********

_Ranger_

I was leaving tomorrow. Only another wonderful part of my job: traveling overseas to deal with clients. Usually, it didn't bother me. It was all apart of being who I was. Doing my job. But for some reason, it was nagging at me now. Harshly.

I had a nice hunch to why it was. And that hunch started with an _S_ and ended in a _tephanie_.

My cell phone rung and I dropped my sandwich to get it from my pants in the room. "Talk to me."

"Carlos!"

I tried not to let the small part of me who had wished it was Stephanie delve into my already bad mood. "Selena."

She was in her animated state at the moment. I could hear her breathless speech and the wide grin that was surely on her face. "Where are you? I've been calling all day."

"I've been busy."

I heard her sigh. "Would you stop it?"

"Stop what?"

"Stop being all professional with me."

My mouth twitched into a small smile. "I'm not. This is how I talk with everyone."

"I beg to differ." Her smile was most definitely back. "You're still coming tomorrow right?"

"It's my job."

"There you go again." She sighed. "I wasn't talking about the job. I was talking about _me_. Are you coming to see _me_?"

Then it came. The guilt. It was amazing how long it took for it to rear its horn. I had braced myself for it all day and thought for sure that it'd arise as soon as I heard her voice. "Of course." My voice was perfectly even, no warning signs of any hesitation or regret or _guilt_. And I knew that she wouldn't be able to sense the undercurrents. No one ever could.

"I'm glad."

Was she really? Because_ I_ wasn't. I clenched the phone and held back a long sigh. The device's mental scorn was back.

_Tell her_.

I was _going_ to tell her.

_To clear your conscience_?

To take full responsibility for my actions.

_Will that make you feel better?_ _Do you like to break woman's hearts? Is that what you do? Sleep with whomever you want and leave whenever you deem so?_

I put two fingers to the bridge of my nose. Either I was having an argument with my phone or my inner conscience. I'd like to think it was the second one.

"How's Pierre?"

"Fine." I blurted out a bit too rapidly. "Tank's fine."

"He hasn't been giving you a hard time has he? I know how protective he can be."

_Oh I know too_. "He has a right to be." There were more implications in the sentence than she could count. But, of course, she didn't catch on.

"Right. Well, I'm a grown woman and can do as I please."

"You're not a grown woman to him."

"Yeah, I know. I'm just his _baby_ sister." I could hear another sigh in her voice.

"Cut him some slack. He's just looking out for you."

"I know." I heard some shouting in the background and Selena cursed. "I have to go." She paused and asked quietly, "See you soon?"

I stared at the wall of my bedroom for a beat and then replied with, "Yeah. See you soon." Before hanging up.

I had the perfect opportunity to tell her. To speak of your wrongdoings. To say that I'd slept with Stephanie. I couldn't predict how she'd react after the news but I knew that it wouldn't have been positive. Neither would Tank's reaction when he found out.

So I had one of two options: Either I keep my mouth shut and take the secret to the grave or spill it now. I had never been a man who came off as deceitful but I had my share of secrets I kept from the world.

One more wouldn't hurt.

* * *

I hate making chapters short because I have the entire freaking thing planned out in my head and on paper but for some reason, my mind is being a punk and I can't get it typed out like I want it. Anyway, no excuses, there'll be more when I get it fixated.

Thanks! :D


	4. Chapter Three

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**Chapter Three**

* * *

_Stephanie_

I heard the door open and swung my eyes from the television screen.

Joe was back.

I tensed, turned off the T.V., turned it back on, got up, started to pace and then sat back down. As soon as I slumped onto the sofa again, Joe walked in. He looked tired, worn out and pissed.

But when his eyes landed on me, his face softened. "Steph...how long have you been here?"

"Only a few minutes." _A few minutes and two hours_.

He sighed, took a seat beside me and we stayed like that for a minute, both staring ahead. Then he reached out his hand, closed it around mines and sighed again. His touch made my hand heat up and I wondered what my reaction meant. "Listen Stephanie..." He started, uneasily. "I'm sorry about last night....I just kind of....everything just got out of hand."

I smiled lightly. "I over exaggerated-"

"No....no, you didn't. You had a right to be angry. I just...escalated it to an unnecessary height." He shifted, took my chin and made me look him in his eyes, his deep brown eyes, and said earnestly, "I don't want to fight anymore. And I think...in order to...not fight that we...shouldn't...give each other the opportunity to do it...anymore."

To say that was a surprise would be an understatement. There were a lot of things I expected out of his mouth but that hadn't been it. I couldn't even understand where he was going with this. "Wha...t?" Was all I could manage to ask.

He smiled sadly, kissed my nose and said, "It shouldn't be this hard, Stephanie. We shouldn't fight over small things like this. We shouldn't have to question each other's actions or have all these insecurities about us."

"..What are you trying to say?"

Morelli shook his head as if he couldn't believe what he was about to say. "I guess...I'm breaking up with you."

**********

_Ranger_

Ten fifty five.

It was already ten fifty five and Stephanie still hadn't called. I rubbed my head and glanced over at my packed bags. It was time to quit stalling. I needed to speak with her before I left. I needed to see her face. Make sure she was okay. Make sure....

I told Tank I'd be back, noted his slight nod and then I was off. Driving down the darkened streets of Trenton towards her apartment complex. When I rolled into the parking lot, all was quiet and...strangely eerie. I let myself into her apartment, froze, listened for any movements but heard nothing. Was she sleeping? At this hour? Either that or she wasn't home. I cursed myself silently for not having enough sense to phone her first and then headed towards her room, keeping my footsteps close to unheard.

She was lying in her bed when I got there. Sleep, obviously. The covers were thrown askew over her form, her chest was rising and falling with every breath and I couldn't help but smile in spite of everything. She looked just as amazing when she slept.

I heard a mumble and watched her open her eyes and come awake. I always found her ability to sense a presence in her bedroom uncanny. Not wanting to freak her out, I flipped the light switch on.

It didn't work. Her eyes widened and she toppled off the bed. "Damn it, Ranger! Door, doorknob! I have those things for a reason!" She got up, glaring daggers at me and I was still smiling.

The smile dropped however when I got a decent look at her face. Her eyes were puffy, her cheeks were red and I could see the darkened stains on her nightshirt. She had been crying.

I stared at her and she stared back for a beat before averting her eyes and hopping back in bed. "What?" She grumbled after I'd stared at her longer. "What do you want?"

I opened my mouth but no words were coming out. Probably because my brain had suddenly shut down as soon as I saw her face. I had too many urges floating around through my body, pumping into my bones. I wanted to ask her what's wrong. Ask her if she needed my help. Ask if something had happened. Ask her how she felt about last night. If she spoke to Morelli. If she wanted to speak to me. Why she had been crying.

But most of all, I just wanted to comfort her. I wanted to wrap my arms around her and melt away her pain.

Yet, I didn't do any of those things. For more then one or two reasons. It occurred to me suddenly that Stephanie thought she was the only one who had done wrong. That she was the only one who had cheated. She didn't know about Selena and, in a way, that made my acts of treason seem all the more worst.

"I'm leaving tonight." It was the only thing I could think of to say. I was still stalling, I realized. Coming here and seeing her face hadn't been enough ammunition to talk about what _I_ wanted to talk about all day. The elephant in the room, staring me down.

She turned to narrow her eyes slightly at me. I had no clue what she was thinking. Her eyes looked hollow. "For how long?"

I paused. "A month."

Stephanie didn't say anything for a while. She just stared straight ahead, seemingly lost in whatever daze that had captured her. I thought about moving towards her, about hugging her, kissing her, showing an inkling of concern but I didn't. My heart wanted to do it but my limbs had a different agenda. My legs kept me rooted to the floor.

"Okay."

Her voice was small and heartbreakingly sad. Her expression was calm and nothing about her body language made me think she wanted me here. I felt an unfamiliar sense prickle in the center of my chest. I felt my heartbeat speed up and I knew what was coming. The elephant in the room. It was about to be mentioned.

"Morelli and I worked it out."

I wasn't sure what I had expected her to say but those words were definitely not it. And I knew that, indirectly, she had mentioned the elephant. The episode from last night. "That's good." Was all I managed to strain out.

She smiled lightly at me, I stared back and then I left. Just like that. No goodbye, no hugs, nothing. It was over. In our own way, we were moving past last night. Past the cheating on both our parts. Where that left us, I didn't know. I didn't know if she'd want to still see me when I returned or if she still wanted to talk to me. I suppose I'd have to cross that bridge when we came to it.

But as I slid behind the wheel of my car, I realized with painful certainty what_ I_ had expected to happen in her apartment this night. Against all better judgment and outside factors, I had expected Stephanie to tell me that she and the cop were over and that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with me.

The realization made more guilt form in my chest. Guilt about last night. Guilt about wanting _that_ while Selena waited for me. Guilt about the pain in my chest while I stared up at the apartment building.

But most of all; guilt about the tears that Stephanie had undoubtedly shed and the reasoning that told me she had been crying me and the decision she had made last night.

The _mistake_.

I drove out of the lot with a new perspective. One that informed me that no matter how much I wished or dreamed, Stephanie Plum would never be mines and it was time to stop pursuing a something that'd never become a reality.

When I hit the road, I brought out my cell phone, flipped it open and speed dialed a number.

"Hello..?" She sounded drowsy with sleep and I smiled softly.

"Hey, it's me."

"Oh hey." She yawned and came awake rather quickly. "What's up? What's the matter?"

I clutched the phone, glanced down, stared and then said quietly, "I've got to tell you something..."

********

_Stephanie_

I don't know what made me lie to Ranger about my relationship with Morelli but I don't regret it.

He shows up after ignoring me all day and tells me he's leaving for a month?! It was like another blow to the stomach from him. He didn't even care about last night or how I felt. I know he must have seen my tear stained face but he didn't question me about it.

Yet he managed to get closure while I didn't. He left here thinking everything was alright. That I was with Morelli, that last night could be forgotten and,_ God_, I wish it could be but I knew that it wouldn't. Not in my mind. I wanted to tell him that I wanted him to stay, comfort me, explain to me why he had left before I got up this morning but all those things had stuck in my throat and all that came out was my cold disposition.

If he didn't care then why should I?

I curled back under the covers, closed my eyes and tried to think of all the pros of this situation. I wouldn't have anymore men in my life. _PRO_. They did nothing but cause me pain. And yes, I guarantee you, when Ranger returned; there'd be no romantic involvement anymore. Physical, emotional, anything.

There'd be no more guilt over Morelli. _PRO_.

There'd be no more confusion. No more being torn. _PRO_.

I'd finally be happy. PRO.

I frowned at the last one after I thought about it for a minute. Would I really be happy being lonely? I shrugged the mental question off almost as soon as it entered my mind. A lot of women lived happy lives alone. At least I had my friends, family and my hamster, Rex.

I didn't realize I was crying again until I felt my cheeks dampen. I wiped at my eyes and sighed, thinking that loneliness would be worth the tears.

* * *

***

**Three weeks later**

***

_Stephanie_

I was throwing up again.

My head was in the toilet, my hair was pulled back into a short ponytail at my neck and all the things I ate this morning was coming back up. The bad thing was that the only thing I ate had been a peanut butter and olive sandwich so, after a few minutes, I was just dry heaving.

I say back on my hunches, ran a forearm over my sweaty forehead and sighed loudly, breathing heavily. As I sat there, I stared up at the ceiling, just now noticing the weird display of decorations in my own bathroom.

I smiled numbly at my obliviousness, felt my stomach churn and then went back to dry heaving for a good minute or two. After I was done, I slumped out, went in search of Rex and bent down to stare at him through the cage bars. He was running on his wheel, fast and alert and I thought that he had it so easy.

"You're lucky." I whispered hoarsely to him. "You should enjoy your lucky, hamster life."

Rex paid me no mind. And he didn't have to. All Rex had to do with run on his wheel, poop, sleep and eat. His life was so simple. He never had to deal with the side effects for bad mistakes or worry about parasites or being shot at or any other human complications.

And he sure as hell didn't have to worry about carrying the baby of a guy you cheated on your boyfriend with, _now ex-boyfriend_, who had made it perfectly clear that his _own_ wants and needs came before anything else.

Yeah, hamsters had it easy.

* * *

Yezzir. I finally got this biznitch (story) moving, haha. I know you all have questions....and they will be answered with updates! :)

Tell me what you thought. Thanks so very much.


	5. Chapter Four

* * *

**Chapter Four**

* * *

_Ranger_

I find it ruefully ironic how I pride myself on never screwing up on the job yet I manage to fuck up my personal life with one or two sudden decisions._ And_ I find my luck with women horribly ill-fated because nine out of ten times, I end up ruining everything.

I glanced out the car window while I rode to a stop before the fairly large mansion on the outskirts of the city. Rain turned the sky gray, pooled the streets and reverberate a steady_ pat-pat-pat_ rhythm on the windshield. I watched the front doors to the mansion open graciously; a head poked out, motioned me inside and then disappeared.

The head belonged to Selena Bentley: The woman I never expected to turn my life upside down.

I met Selena long before Stephanie and although she was attractive, I never saw her in that light from the beginning. I might have been because she never showed an inkling towards liking me or because she was Tank's sister and, virtually, off limits or hell, it _might_ have been the ring on her finger. I'm not sure. But either way, we worked together but never got involved.

She worked for a conglomerate business and security company where she lived at. Which was over seas in France. The first time I saw her, I had no idea she was Tank's sister. Probably because the man never mentioned he had one. This, in turn, confused the hell out of me when he walked up to her, kissed her cheek and hugged her. I sat staring, wondering how he could be that bold to a woman he barely knew and found out _after wards_ about their relationship.

She was so different from me yet similar in certain aspects. For instance, she was a certain form of bounty hunter for her agency. Like me. Unlike me, she wore bright red ensembles, cracked jokes and smiled most of the time. _But_, she was murder with any weapon, took her job seriously and made it perfectly clear to the other RangeMan employees that she appreciated their affection but was happy married and never mixed business with pleasure.

Looking back on it, I hadn't saw any warning signs or thought that, in any way possible, we'd get involved.

Then it happened. I was preparing to head over seas once again and work with her. Tank, Hal and two more others were coming with me. Which reminds me; leaving my company in the hands of anyone but Tank always left me edgy. It's not that I didn't trust my men. I was just paranoid from the get go. Anyway, we were leaving.

And like any other time I left, I went to visit Stephanie. When I disappeared 'in to the wind', she liked to know about it. I knew this because she had told me once when I came back after a long time away. More like, she screamed at me and asked where the hell I've been but I got the gist of it.

So, I'm heading for her apartment, walking up the stairs instead of the elevator, checking my watch to see how much time I had left. I suppose if I had paid attention to the cars in the lot, I would have seen it. To this day, it bugs the hell out of me that I overlooked the car. I trained myself to _always_ calculate your surrounds. Then again, I was running late so I blame it on that.

Either way, I didn't see it. And when I got to her door and started to do work my magic on the lock, I heard it. Morelli was inside. You could say I knew that because I memorized his voice or because I had an eerie ability that made me sense things but he was in there. I listened for a beat and then left.

It wasn't a traumatic incident exactly. Just one of those events that reminded me that Stephanie _wasn't_ mines. I do admit though, it bothered me. Hell, it ate me through the car ride to the airport, while I was on the airplane and when I touched down on foreign soil. It bothered me more than it usually did and much more than I'd like to admit.

Then, I guess, fate stepped in. Coincidentally placed fate. Because when Selena showed up to meet us the first thing I noticed was that her wedding ring wasn't on her finger. I'm not sure what inclined me to look or why I took that as an invitation but I remember staring at her naked finger, trailing my eyes up her chest and locking them onto her face.

She had been smiling.

_Mistake number one was made._

So it _wasn't_ the most romantic way we could have gotten together but it served its purpose that night. One night of pleasure, a mistake being made (I seemed to make those a lot when it came to women), humans urges taking over, two people trying desperately to forget that one person who could break the foundation of your world with the blink of an eye? You could call it whatever you want. But on that night, something occurred to me. Something that surprised me big time;

I hadn't thought about Stephanie.

And maybe that was the reason I continued seeing her. Maybe that was why I didn't tell her about the episode with Stephanie. Maybe that was why I tried fairly hard to keep my relationship with her a secret. Not because I _planned_ on deceiving her but because I felt like our time together was a fairytale that might explode negatively if it was exposed. After all, everyone knows that I attract danger _any_ where I go.

But, of course, I fucked up. I tried my hardest to keep a professional distance with Stephanie when I returned home but failed miserably. She didn't even realize all the times I took unnecessary steps away from her or kept it all business with her or sent off resistance vibes. Then again, maybe she _did_ notice but didn't care enough to acknowledge it. Maybe she thought I was finally backing off and was grateful.

It was easy when Stephanie _showed_ little interest. It was damn hard when she came knocking at your door, begging for some time in your bed.

_Mistake number two was made._

It struck me then that maybe I wasn't over her. That I'd _never_ get over her. That she'd always have the power to pop into my life, transform me into an emotional mess and then head back to Morelli because, no matter what happened, she'd never _leave_ him.

More irony: I opened the relationship with strictly sex and ended up questing for more._ Bravo on my part_.

I opened the car door, slid out and slammed it shut. My eyes traveled towards the gray, desolate looking skies and I saw motion before me. Selena had poked her head out and was motioning me in frantically now, probably wondering why the hell I was standing outside, staring at a cloudless sky, getting soaked.

I squinted at her through the rain; at her deep brown eyes, light brown skin, long, curly hair. I felt my mouth twitch at her impatient gaze.

My mind flashed back to my last conversation with her;

_"Hello..?"_

_"Hey, it's me."_

_"Oh hey." She yawned and came awake rather quickly. "What's up? What's the matter?"_

_I clutched the phone, glanced down, stared and then said quietly, "I've got to tell you something..."_

_"What is it?"_

_"I've been thinking...."_

_"Yeah?"_

_"Let's get married."_

_"…..What!?" She asked incredulously. I could almost picture her wide eyes._

_"I want to marry you, Selena."_

_"Wha…Carlos, I…-"_

_"Don't. Don't say anything yet. Just...think about it. We'll talk more when I get there."_

I walked past the gates, up the steps and into her waiting arms.

If time couldn't get me past Stephanie then I'd have to take matters into my own hands and force it.

**********

_Stephanie_

My head was pounding, my stomach was in knots and my phone was ringing but I couldn't get to it. Probably Lula or my mom, calling to see if I was still holed up at home and if I was okay.

I didn't know what to say to them. Lying on the bathroom floor, waiting for the results from a fifth pregnancy test wasn't exactly _okay_ was it?

When I took the first test and it came out positive, I didn't even freak. Probably because I passed out but it still counts. Then I took a second and a third and a fourth and now, I was on my fifth. By now, any other women would have quit and just let the cold reality sink in but not me. I was an optimist. Or so I believed. And optimist never quit.

I glanced at my watch, sat up and reached for the pregnancy test. It was time.

_"Positive"_ was written in perfect, machine letters. I threw it away and opened the sixth packet containing another test. Hey, who knows? Six was my lucky number.

While I went in search of water to urge my bladder on, I didn't think about my obvious denial or any other emotions that were trying to conjure their way into my brain. I kept my mind on finding the bottle of water, peeing on a stick and waiting for the screen to say 'negative.'

Because when I finally let my common sense out again and _when_ it shines light to dawn on me, I'd have to face the cold truth.

And I just wasn't ready for that.

**********

_Tank_

"Where's Ranger?"

"He left."

I nodded at Lester and he tiredly slumped back into his hotel room. I could see the annoyance on his face. He didn't like being woken up in the middle of the night. I could sympathize. I didn't like tossing and turning all night thinking about my sister and my boss. I had heard Ranger drive away after we arrived at the hotel. I heard him speak with Selena but I needed assurance. I needed a second witness. Lester had been it.

Ranger was with my sister.

I turned on my heel and stalked back to my room. I fell onto the bed, sighed and closed my eyes.

I guess it wouldn't have troubled me so much if I didn't have the distinct, gut feeling that Ranger's earlier explanation about Stephanie leaving RangeMan hadn't been so damn hesitant. I never, not once since I met the man, _never_ had a reason to doubt him. Never thought he'd lie to me. Gave him my full trust. Always thought he was the symbol of hard work and diligence. I even considered him one of my closest friends.

But when you combined Ranger with my sister, the fucking uncertainty comes out of the blue.

Not because I don't trust him or don't think he's the right guy for my sister or any of that.

But because I _know_ Ranger. Because I _love_ my sister and wish for her well being. Because, no matter how much she tries to hide it, I know she's in a fragile state and still not over her ex-husband. And it's plain as motherfucking day that Ranger's feelings for Stephanie are damn near permanent, deep and irreplaceable.

That's why I worry. That's why I'm so protective of Selena. That's why I intend to question Ranger's every motive.

_That's_ why I'm lying in bed, agonizing over what's happening with them and what I should do if worse came to worse.

* * *

More questions answered? I hope. *singsongs* Dramaaaaa. I promise the next chapters will be much longer. Yezzir. && Yep, I think Tank deserved the spot light. Actually, he might come in as one of the main characters for this little adventure. :)

Review and tell me how you liked it! Love you all.


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